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Looking for advice on a tubing notcher

Welcome to the forum.
As far as notchers go, like anything else, you get what you pay for. That can be pretty cheap to really expensive. How much do you want to spend? Do you have bending software? The Bend Tech Pro bending software has a neat notching program built in. It will print a line on a sheet of paper, cut along the line and use it as a template on your tubing. Then you can shape it with your grinder, torch, plasma cutter, etc..... Harbor Freight has cheap notchers, and they arre reasonable for most uses.

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Thanks Nocheepgas understand you get what you pay for. I have been doing some research today, I found some information on a JD2 Notchmaster they also have some bend software that is free. I downloaded the software and have played around with it this evening. The notcher looks to be made out of heavier material than others I've seen.

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Bracket Racer, I'm too about to pull the trigger on a notcher. I'm in the process of building my own tubing bender and seriously thought about building a notcher but the JD2 Notch Master is so cheap it's not feasible for me to build one.
I believe the Notch Master is the perfect choice for me between price and durability. Good Luck

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Another + for the JD2. I had a HF turd years ago and it was worthless. I then purchased a notchmaster from JD2 and it was a nice unit, especially for the price. I then upgraded to the Beast and it is also very nice, there are couple things you can do on it that you couldn't on the notchmaster but there are a few things you can do on the notchmaster that you can't on the Beast. Both units are nice but unless you have to have the beast just go with the notchmaster, you can't go wrong with the price. Also, order through JD2 instead of trick-tools, a lot of times JD2 will work with you on the price.

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I have the JMR tube notcher and it has worked well for me for approx. 3 years now without any complaints. The ability to cut on a curve like the new Beast would be nice though. On curve notches I generally mark with a Sharpie and then creap up on the notch with a grinder/rotary emery roll. Mike.

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Bracket Racer, Best notcher for 90* fishmouths is sold by Heck Industries , manual operation 3 sizes on one block about 500.00 . Have 4 in the shop for making handrail. For f.m. other than 90* I have a belt notcher made by Linders Industries uses abrasive belts 25.00 ea. whole machine 4000.00 PS. GO STEELERS SUPERBOWL CHAMPS

Who has $7500 dollars to spend on a tubing notcher?
For 90 degree notching, i use a "Williams Lowbuck" mechanical notcher cost 300 dollars, and can make a accurate notch in 30 seconds, no drill, or hole saw needed. For angle notching, i use my Lathe like a horizontal Milling machine. I made a tool that fit in the lathe toolpost, this tool holds any size tubing i want, then i place the the correct size end mill in the Lathe Chuck, turn the handle on the carriage and feed the tubing into the end mill, just like that $7500 dollars Baileigh machine.
call me cheap, or resourceful, creative, whatever you want, I get the notch done right every time.

Except that notcher will collapse thinwall tube. The JD2 beast is hands down the most universal notcher on the market, I am not saying it is the best, if you are only notching a certain style of tube or pipe a dedicated notching system will be king, but if you need something to be universal to accomplish a wide variety of notches in a wide variety of materials the beast will be hard to beat.

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Who has $7500 dollars to spend on a tubing notcher?
For 90 degree notching, i use a "Williams Lowbuck" mechanical notcher cost 300 dollars, and can make a accurate notch in 30 seconds, no drill, or hole saw needed. For angle notching, i use my Lathe like a horizontal Milling machine. I made a tool that fit in the lathe toolpost, this tool holds any size tubing i want, then i place the the correct size end mill in the Lathe Chuck, turn the handle on the carriage and feed the tubing into the end mill, just like that $7500 dollars Baileigh machine.
call me cheap, or resourceful, creative, whatever you want, I get the notch done right every time.

I have used this machine it is the kind. Will out notch any other setup I have ever seen. Fast simple to operate cost effective. Far and away the best notcher I have ever used. If you can afford it. lol

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Most of the holesaw types will work well on mild steel tubing, but if you're using CM, you'll find it's very easy to break teeth off . An endmill notcher , like a Mittler Bros. for example, works great on everything, especially in a production environment. Like most have said here , you get what you pay for.